Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable results

The phenomenon of tissue expansion is observed in nature all the time. The same properties of the human skin to stretch and expand and yield extra skin if placed under continuous stress over a prolonged period of time has been utilised for reconstructive purposes with the help of a silicon balloon i...

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Main Authors: Milind S Wagh, Varun Dixit
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2013-01-01
Series:Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ijps.org/article.asp?issn=0970-0358;year=2013;volume=46;issue=2;spage=333;epage=348;aulast=Wagh
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author Milind S Wagh
Varun Dixit
author_facet Milind S Wagh
Varun Dixit
author_sort Milind S Wagh
collection DOAJ
description The phenomenon of tissue expansion is observed in nature all the time. The same properties of the human skin to stretch and expand and yield extra skin if placed under continuous stress over a prolonged period of time has been utilised for reconstructive purposes with the help of a silicon balloon inserted under the skin and progressively filled with saline. The technique of tissue expansion is now more than three decades old and has been a value addition to our armamentarium in reconstructive surgery in all parts of the body. However, it still requires careful patient selection, meticulous planning and faultless execution to successfully carry out the process, which usually lasts for more than 8-12 weeks and involves two sittings of surgery. Any compromise in this process can lead to unfavourable results and complications, some minor, which allow continuance of the process to attain the expected goal and others major, which force abandonment of the process without reaching the expected goal. This article seeks to highlight the intricacies of the concept of tissue expansion, the technique related to flawless execution of the process and likely complications with emphasis on their management. We also present our results from a personal series of 138 patients operated over a period of 18 years between 1994 and 2012.
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spelling doaj-art-a2e013c0685c4fc582e19a71da523cba2025-08-20T03:38:18ZengThieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery0970-03581998-376X2013-01-0146233334810.4103/0970-0358.118612Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable resultsMilind S WaghVarun DixitThe phenomenon of tissue expansion is observed in nature all the time. The same properties of the human skin to stretch and expand and yield extra skin if placed under continuous stress over a prolonged period of time has been utilised for reconstructive purposes with the help of a silicon balloon inserted under the skin and progressively filled with saline. The technique of tissue expansion is now more than three decades old and has been a value addition to our armamentarium in reconstructive surgery in all parts of the body. However, it still requires careful patient selection, meticulous planning and faultless execution to successfully carry out the process, which usually lasts for more than 8-12 weeks and involves two sittings of surgery. Any compromise in this process can lead to unfavourable results and complications, some minor, which allow continuance of the process to attain the expected goal and others major, which force abandonment of the process without reaching the expected goal. This article seeks to highlight the intricacies of the concept of tissue expansion, the technique related to flawless execution of the process and likely complications with emphasis on their management. We also present our results from a personal series of 138 patients operated over a period of 18 years between 1994 and 2012.http://www.ijps.org/article.asp?issn=0970-0358;year=2013;volume=46;issue=2;spage=333;epage=348;aulast=WaghComplicationstissue expansionunfavourable results
spellingShingle Milind S Wagh
Varun Dixit
Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable results
Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
Complications
tissue expansion
unfavourable results
title Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable results
title_full Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable results
title_fullStr Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable results
title_full_unstemmed Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable results
title_short Tissue expansion: Concepts, techniques and unfavourable results
title_sort tissue expansion concepts techniques and unfavourable results
topic Complications
tissue expansion
unfavourable results
url http://www.ijps.org/article.asp?issn=0970-0358;year=2013;volume=46;issue=2;spage=333;epage=348;aulast=Wagh
work_keys_str_mv AT milindswagh tissueexpansionconceptstechniquesandunfavourableresults
AT varundixit tissueexpansionconceptstechniquesandunfavourableresults